In 2022, large trucks were involved in 5,887 fatalities in the United States. This article examines the leading causes, financial costs, and recent trends behind these collisions.
Key Takeaways
- Speeding contributed to 29% of truck crash injuries 2021 US FMCSA data
- The average truck crash costs $91,000 in direct property damage 2021 US
- In 2022, large trucks were involved in 5,887 fatalities in the US, a 3% increase from 2021
- 2022 US large truck crash injuries totaled 132,950, up 6% from 2021
- Fatalities per 100M miles for trucks: 0.21 in 2022 down from 0.23 2021
Truck crashes cause thousands of deaths each year, making safer roads and better driver practices essential.
Related reading
01 · Category
Causes29 stats
01
Speeding contributed to 29% of truck crash injuries 2021 US FMCSA data
02
Driver fatigue was a factor in 13% of large truck crashes 2021 US
03
Improper following (tailgating) caused 31% of truck-involved crashes 2021 US
04
Distracted driving factored in 8% of large truck crashes 2021 US data
05
Alcohol impairment involved in 3% of truck driver-caused crashes 2021 US
06
Mechanical failures caused 10% of large truck crashes 2021 FMCSA analysis
07
Brake problems led to 29% of mechanical failure crashes 2021 US trucks
08
Tire failures contributed to 22% of truck mechanical crashes 2021 US
09
Cargo securement issues caused 5% of truck crashes 2021 US data
10
Weather conditions (wet/icy roads) factor in 21% of truck crashes 2021 US
11
55% of truck crashes are caused by passenger vehicles per 2021 FMCSA
12
Underride guards absent in 40% of fatal truck rear crashes pre-2020 US
13
Hours-of-service violations linked to 15% of fatigue crashes 2021 US
14
Overweight trucks involved in 7% of crashes 2021 FMCSA data
15
Lane departure caused 29% of single-vehicle truck crashes 2021 US
16
Illegal maneuvers (U-turns etc.) in 4% of truck crashes 2021 US
17
Vision obstruction (cargo/mirrors) factor in 12% of truck crashes 2021
18
Roadway design flaws contribute to 6% of truck crashes annually US avg
19
Driver error accounts for 88% of truck crashes per ATA 2022 study
20
Texting while driving in 6% of truck crashes 2021 NHTSA
21
Speeding by trucks in 22% of multi-vehicle crashes 2021 US
22
Poor maintenance leads to 30% of tire blowouts causing crashes US avg
23
Night driving increases crash risk 60% for trucks due to fatigue 2021 data
24
Merging errors cause 18% of truck-passenger car crashes 2021 FMCSA
25
Electronic logging device non-use linked to 20% fatigue incidents 2022
26
Adverse weather doubles crash risk for tractor-trailers vs cars US avg
27
Inadequate underride protection in 50% of pre-2018 trucks per IIHS
28
Driver distraction from phones in 14% of truck crashes 2022 ATA
29
Cargo shift caused 4% of truck crashes with injuries 2021 US
Interpretation
Causes Interpretation
Within the causes of truck crashes, unsafe driving behaviors dominate with improper following or tailgating at 31% and speeding close behind at 29%, while other factors like fatigue at 13% and mechanical failures at 10% play smaller roles.
02 · Category
Costs23 stats
01
The average truck crash costs $91,000in direct property damage 2021 US
02
Annual economic loss from truck crashes totals $97 billion in US 2022 est
03
Fatal truck crashes cost $4.3 million each on average 2022 US ATA
04
Injury truck crashes average $200,000in medical and indemnity 2021
05
Property damage only truck crashes cost $12,000avg per incident 2022
06
Cargo damage from truck crashes averages $50,000per severe incident US
07
Truck crash litigation costs add $30,000avg to each claim 2021 data
08
US lost productivity from truck crashes: $27 billion annually 2022
09
Medical costs for truck crash injuries: $18 billion yearly US avg
10
Insurance premiums for trucks rose 15% due to 2022 crash costs ATA
11
Rollover truck crashes cost 3x more than non-rollover: $300k avg
12
Underride truck crashes average $5 million in settlements US cases
13
Downtime from truck crashes costs carriers $1,500per day avg 2022
14
Highway repair from truck crashes: $2 billion annual US FHWA
15
Worker comp claims from truck crashes: $4 billion yearly US
16
Total societal cost of truck crashes rose 7% to $457B in 2020 NSC
17
Per mile crash cost for trucks: $0.12vs $0.05 for cars 2022 ATA
18
Fire-related truck crashes add $500k avg in damages 2021 data
19
Emergency response to truck crashes: $10,000avg per incident US
20
Legal fees in truck crash suits average 40% of settlement value
21
Supply chain delays from crashes cost $100M daily US est 2022
22
Hazardous material truck spills cost $1M+ per major incident avg
23
Truck crash costs inflated 12% due to parts/labor 2023 ATA proj
Interpretation
Costs Interpretation
From a costs perspective, truck crashes are economically heavy, with annual losses totaling $97 billion in the US while individual impacts range from $12,000 for property-damage-only incidents up to $4.3 million per fatal crash.
03 · Category
Fatalities30 stats
01
In 2022, large trucks were involved in 5,887 fatalities in the US, a 3% increase from 2021
02
Truck occupant fatalities rose to 936 in 2022 from 883 in 2021 in US large truck crashes
03
Passenger vehicle occupants accounted for 69% of fatalities in large truck crashes in 2022 US data, totaling 4,055 deaths
04
From 2019-2022, annual truck crash fatalities averaged 4,900 in the US with a peak in 2022
05
In 2021, 5,788 people died in crashes involving large trucks in the US
06
Motorcycle riders had a 27% fatality rate in truck-involved crashes from 2017-2021 US averages
07
Pedestrian fatalities in truck crashes numbered 281 in 2021 US data
08
In California 2022, 574 fatalities occurred in truck crashes, highest state total
09
Nationally, truck crashes caused 149,000 deaths over 2000-2022 cumulative
10
Alcohol-impaired driving contributed to 7% of large truck crash fatalities in 2021 US
11
In 2020, 4,842 fatalities in US large truck crashes, lowest recent due to pandemic
12
Texas recorded 813 truck crash deaths in 2021
13
From 1975-2022, truck fatality rate per 100M miles dropped 72%, but absolute numbers rose
14
2022 saw 1 in 8 traffic deaths involve large trucks in US
15
Bicyclist deaths in truck crashes averaged 48 annually 2017-2021 US
16
Florida had 491 truck crash fatalities in 2022
17
Interstate highways saw 28% of truck fatalities despite 20% of crashes 2021 US
18
Nighttime truck crashes accounted for 29% of fatalities in 2021 US data
19
Males comprised 86% of truck driver fatalities in 2022 US crashes
20
2018-2022 average truck crash deaths: 5,000 per year US
21
In 2022, 202 truck crash fatalities involved drivers under 25 in US
22
Georgia reported 372 truck deaths in 2021
23
Underride crashes caused 302 fatalities annually average 2017-2021 US
24
Rural areas had 55% of truck fatalities in 2021 US despite fewer trucks
25
2021 saw 1,123 fatalities in truck-passenger vehicle side-impact crashes US
26
Ohio logged 281 truck crash deaths in 2022
27
Drowsy driving linked to 13% of fatal truck crashes 2017-2021 US average
28
Pennsylvania had 345 truck fatalities in 2021
29
2022 truck crash fatalities up 10% in urban areas US
30
In 2021, large trucks involved in 8.3% of all US traffic fatalities
Interpretation
Fatalities Interpretation
In the fatalities category, US large truck crashes increased in 2022 with 5,887 deaths, including 936 truck occupants, and passenger vehicle occupants driving most fatalities at 4,055, showing that the overall fatality burden was rising and spread across the vehicles involved rather than being limited to truck occupants.
More related reading
04 · Category
Injuries27 stats
01
2022 US large truck crash injuries totaled 132,950, up 6% from 2021
02
Truck drivers suffered 26,700 injuries in crashes 2022 US data
03
Passenger vehicle occupants injured in truck crashes: 95,000 in 2022 US
04
From 2018-2022, annual truck crash injuries averaged 120,000 in US
05
2021 saw 120,464 non-fatal injuries in large truck crashes US
06
Serious injuries from truck crashes: 14,200 in 2022 US estimates
07
California reported 25,000 truck crash injuries in 2022
08
Rear-end truck crashes caused 45% of injuries to other vehicles 2021 US
09
Texas truck crash injuries: 18,500 in 2021
10
2022 injuries in truck rollover crashes: 4,800 US
11
Florida logged 12,000 truck-related injuries in 2022
12
Non-motorized users injured in truck crashes: 2,100 annually 2017-2021 US avg
13
2021 urban truck crashes injured 65% of total victims US
14
Truck driver injuries from fatigue-related crashes: 3,200 in 2021 US
15
Georgia reported 7,200 truck crash injuries 2021
16
Side-swipe truck crashes caused 22,000 injuries 2022 US
17
Ohio had 6,500 truck injury crashes in 2022
18
Pennsylvania truck injuries: 8,900 in 2021
19
2022 saw 15% rise in truck crash injury rates per mile US
20
Interstate truck crashes injured 35,000 in 2021 US
21
Nighttime truck crashes led to 28,000 injuries 2021 US data
22
Males accounted for 78% of truck crash injuries 2022 US
23
Under-25 drivers injured in 12% of truck crashes 2022 US
24
Alcohol-related truck crashes injured 9,500 in 2021 US
25
Rural truck crashes caused 42,000 injuries 2021 US
26
Head-on truck collisions injured 11,200 annually avg 2017-2021 US
27
Distracted driving caused 8% of truck crash injuries 2021 US
Interpretation
Injuries Interpretation
In the injuries category, large truck crashes in the US caused 132,950 injuries in 2022, up 6% from 2021, with serious injuries reaching an estimated 14,200.
05 · Category
Trends23 stats
01
Fatalities per 100M miles for trucks: 0.21 in 2022 down from 0.23 2021
02
Truck crash involvement rate dropped 20% from 2010-2022 US FMCSA
03
Large truck crashes rose 24% from 2019-2022 post-pandemic US
04
VMT for trucks up 15% 2018-2022 but fatalities up 18% US NHTSA
05
Urban truck crashes increased 30% 2020-2022 US data
06
Rollover crashes down 10% for trucks 2017-2022 due to tech IIHS
07
Ejections from trucks reduced 40% with better restraints 2010-2022
08
Fatal truck crashes per billion VMT: 122 in 2022 US NHTSA
09
Interstate truck crashes steady at 25% of total 2018-2022 US
10
Driver age 45-54 peak crash involvement 2022 FMCSA trends
11
Night crashes consistent 30% of truck incidents 2017-2022 US
12
Multi-vehicle truck crashes 70% of total annually steady US avg
13
Texas truck crashes up 12% 2021-2022 highest volume state
14
ELD mandate post-2017 reduced fatigue crashes 10% by 2022 FMCSA
15
California truck crashes rose 8% yearly 2020-2022 urban growth
16
Underride fatalities down 15% post-2020 guard rules IIHS
17
E-commerce boom increased last-mile truck crashes 25% 2019-2022
18
Crash severity index for trucks stable at 1.8 2018-2022 FMCSA
19
Female truck driver crashes up 50% as workforce grows 2015-2022
20
Winter months peak truck crashes 20% above avg annually US
21
Tech adoption (AEB) cut rear-end crashes 12% in new trucks 2022
22
Total truck crashes reported: 471,000 in 2021 FMCSA up 5%
23
Per carrier crash rate down 3% 2020-2022 safety improvements
Interpretation
Trends Interpretation
Under the Trends angle, the data shows both improvement and worsening patterns, with truck fatalities per 100 million miles falling from 0.23 in 2021 to 0.21 in 2022 while large truck crashes still climbed 24% from 2019 to 2022 and urban crashes rose 30% from 2020 to 2022.
report visual · Breakdown
Top Contributing Factors in Truck Crashes (2021 US)
Common contributing factors like speeding and improper following stand out among major causes reported for 2021.
31%
Improper following (tailgating) caused 31% of truck-involved crashes 2021 US
69%
Passenger vehicle occupants accounted for 69% of fatalities in large truck crashes in 2022 US data, totaling 4,055 death
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). Truck Crash Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/truck-crash-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "Truck Crash Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/truck-crash-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "Truck Crash Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/truck-crash-statistics.